Drinking bottle

ABSTRACT

Drinking bottle for sportspersons, having a case ( 1 ), a dome ( 2 ) with a drinking valve ( 3 ), a base ( 9 ) and a protective cap ( 4 ), wherein the drinking bottle comprises an insert ( 5 ) for preventing sloshing, such that
         (a) the insert ( 5 ) is a bag for receiving drinking fluid which is accessible via the drinking valve ( 3 ), wherein there is arranged beneath the bag ( 5 ) an expansion element ( 8 ) which is suitable for compressing the bag ( 5 ) in the direction towards the drinking valve ( 3 ) in dependence on the fill level; or   (b) the insert ( 5 ) comprises multiple stages, which are interconnected; or   (c) the insert ( 5 ) comprises a filling of a permeable, food-grade material having honeycombs or cells.

The invention relates to a drinking bottle for sportspersons, having a case, a dome with a drinking valve, a base and a protective cap.

Drinking during and after sport is important for health and in particular for electrolyte metabolism. Sportspersons must therefore ensure that they always take in sufficient fluids, including during the sporting activity if it lasts for a prolonged time. In the case of short sporting activities of less than 30 minutes, it generally suffices to drink sufficiently following the sporting activity. In the case of prolonged exertion, and at the latest after 60 minutes, fluids should be replenished in order to compensate for the fluid lost through sweating and breathing. It is recommended to take in fluids in small sips at 15-minute intervals.

Running, in particular jogging, is one of the most widely practised sporting activities for maintaining health and performance. In order to compensate for fluid loss, it is recommended that sportspersons carry a sufficient supply of fluid, that is to say have with them a drinking bottle filled with fluid. While a full bottle is noticeable only by its weight, in the case of partially empty bottles the sloshing of the fluid in the bottle is often perceived as annoying. This is the starting point of the invention.

The object of the invention is to provide a drinking bottle in which, even in the partially empty state, sloshing of the remaining fluid in the bottle does not occur during running movements.

This object is achieved with a drinking bottle of the type mentioned at the beginning which has an insert for preventing sloshing, such that

(a) the insert is a bag for receiving drinking fluid which is arranged in the drinking bottle and is accessible via the drinking valve, wherein there is arranged beneath the bag an expansion element which is suitable for compressing the bag in the direction towards the drinking valve in dependence on the fill level; or

(b) the insert has multiple stages, which are interconnected; or

(c) the insert has a filling of a permeable, food-grade material having honeycombs or cells.

According to variant (a), the drinking bottle according to the invention contains the drinking fluid in a bag, which is accessible via the drinking valve. In order to drink, fluid can be taken from the bag via the valve, whereby the volume of the bag decreases.

In order to compensate for the decreasing fill level of the bag, pressure equalisation is necessary. If pressure chambers are present in the drinking bottle, the expansion thereof can establish the pressure equalisation. In the case of mechanical expansion elements, it is advantageous to provide an air inlet either in the dome or in the base of the drinking bottle. Advantageously, this air inlet is arranged in the base of the drinking bottle. It can be, for example, a one-way valve.

The bag for receiving the drinking fluid is arranged at the upper, valve-side end of the drinking bottle and reaches as far as the expansion element arranged on the base. The bag lies with its edge against the inside wall of the drinking bottle in a sealing manner, advantageously directly beneath the dome. Alternatively, the bag can also be fixed in a sealing manner to the drinking valve.

Since the weight of the filled or partially filled bag pulls it downwards during running movements, there is a risk that the bag with its sealing edge will be displaced downwards or will break away from the valve.

In order to prevent this, it is necessary to support the bag against the base of the bottle. Such a support must be flexible in order to adapt to the changing fill level of the bag.

As such a support there is arranged in the drinking bottle an expansion element which, in dependence on the fill level, compresses the bag in the direction towards the valve and pushes it upwards. The lower end of the bag remote from the valve is supported by this expansion element, and the bottle volume present for the bag containing the remaining fluid is reduced to such an extent that sloshing is avoided.

The bag arranged inside the drinking bottle consists of a food-grade plastics material according to regulation 1935/2004/EC. The bag must be sufficiently resilient and flexible to adapt to the changing fill levels. It is therefore expedient to configure the bag in particular as a bellows. The bag is thus able to adjust to the current volume.

In order to hold the bag stably at the valve in its respective state, there is a support element, for example a piston, beneath the bag, which support element is supported against and runs along the inside wall of the drinking bottle. The support element can be guided, for example, laterally on a rail and is vertically displaceable. In order to hold the support element in position, it is supported from beneath, that is to say from the base of the container, by an expansion element.

According to the invention, an expansion element is understood as being an element which expands under the decreasing pressure of the fluid-filled bag and thus pushes the support element in the direction towards the valve. Such an expansion element can be, for example, a helical spring, a bellows under tension or a telescopic element, which can be actuated through the base of the bottle. It is important that the expansion element holds the support element with the bag in a stable position, wherein the bag with the remaining fluid completely fills the volume of the drinking bottle above the support element.

There is suitable as the spring element in particular a helical spring, which is compressed under the pressure exerted on closing of the bottle or under the filling pressure of the bag. The helical spring is fastened at the bottom to the base of the bottle and constantly pushes the support element, or the piston, upwards. On filling of the bottle, the piston is pushed downwards again by the increasing volume of the bag.

For fixing the support element or piston, catches can be provided for support on the inside wall of the drinking bottle, in particular on rails arranged there. These catches can open automatically when the support element moves and close again once the support element has passed, so that a downwards movement of the support element is not possible during use. It is alternatively possible to actuate the catches through the base of the drinking bottle via a rotating wheel or push buttons.

There is suitable as the expansion element in particular also a bellows which is arranged beneath the support element or contains the support element integrated therein and which expands upwards from the base of the drinking bottle as a result of its own tension when fluid is taken from the drinking bag.

In principle, it is also possible to provide one or more pressure chambers which are compressed on filling of the bag and expand again when fluid is taken out. These pressure chambers are one or more pressure-resistant bags which contain a gaseous medium. However, the filling volume is in principle limited in this variant, since the pressure in the chambers should not exceed 2 to 3 bar.

Finally, the support element can also be connected to a telescopic element which can be actuated through the base of the bottle, for example by a rotating movement which acts on one or more screw threads of the telescopic element.

Variant (b) of the drinking bottle according to the invention makes use of multiple stages, which can be interconnected by a flap mechanism. In the closed state, the flaps seal with respect to the base of the bottle. When fluid is taken through the drinking valve, the flaps open, and the fluid collects in the upper chambers. After the drinking bottle has been set down, the fluid remains in the upper chambers. The size of the chambers formed by the stages can be, for example, 50 or 100 ml and thus meets the fluid requirement of a sportsperson in the drinking intervals.

According to variant (b), the insert of the drinking bottle can also have multiple bases inserted at regular intervals, which bases are connected together along a central axis via openings or through-holes. This variant allows the drinking valve to be connected to a suction tube which reaches to the base of the drinking bottle. The fluid contained in the drinking bottle collects in each case in the lower region and is prevented from sloshing by the inserted bases.

It will be appreciated that the inserts according to variant (b) consist of a material suitable for foods, for example a plastics material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

According to variant (c), the insert has a filling of a permeable material which forms honeycombs or cells, which material must be suitable for foods. A sponge structure with coarse pores is also suitable. The honeycombs or cells are connected to one another, so that the drinking fluid is able to move inside the bottle but is prevented from rapid displacement inside the bottle. Such an insert itself has, for example, a honeycomb structure or cell structure, the individual honeycombs or cells of which are connected together by through-holes. Centrally, this insert can have a passage which serves to receive a drinking straw.

A preferred filling according to variant (c) is a “crumpled” film, preferably of plastics material or metal, for example aluminium or coated aluminium, which effectively prevents displacement of the drinking fluid during movement but scarcely inhibits the taking of fluid via the drinking valve or a drinking straw.

It will be appreciated that the inserts of the drinking bottle can be removed for cleaning, for example for cleaning in a dishwasher. The fluid itself is arranged inside the bag in variant (a), but in variants (b) and (c) it can be contained either only in the insert, or in the drinking bottle and the insert.

The drinking bottle according to the invention has a conventional screw top, here referred to as a dome, in which the valve is arranged. The valve itself likewise has a top, and in addition the dome of the drinking bottle is advantageously closed by a cap.

The top of the valve is necessary to prevent the fluid in the bag from being pushed out of the bottle under the pressure of the expansion element in variant (a).

According to an embodiment, the valve arranged in the dome can be closed by a membrane which allows the drinking fluid to be taken by sucking. In variant (a), the fluid can be taken with the bottle standing upright; according to variant (b) or (c), the drinking bottle must be tilted for that purpose. It will be appreciated that the membrane is not necessary for taking fluid from the drinking bottle according to the invention.

According to a further embodiment, in particular of variant (c), the fluid can be taken through a drinking straw which extends to the bottom of the bag or of the insert.

Finally, it is readily possible to configure the valve to be variable so that, by turning, the drinking mode—tilting of the bottle, sucking through the membrane or drinking through the straw—can be adjusted.

It will be appreciated that the drinking bottle according to the invention can be manufactured in different sizes, for example with a capacity of 0.5 or 1 l. The design can be varied taking account of the internal features.

Advantageously, a drinking bottle according to the invention includes a cleaning set, which allows the insert, for example the bag, to be gently removed and the bottle to be cleaned. The cleaning set comprises, for example, a bottle brush and a hook for removing the bag.

The invention will be explained in greater detail by the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention according to variant (a) in the largely empty state;

FIG. 2 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention according to variant (a) in the full state;

FIG. 3 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention according to variant (b); and

FIG. 4 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention according to variant (c).

FIG. 1 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention in the empty or unfilled state. The drinking bottle has a case 1 and a dome 2 with a valve 3 and is closed by an openable or removable cap 4. The cap 4 protects the sensitive valve 3 from damage and contamination.

The dome 2 is designed as a screw top (not shown). The valve 3 arranged in the dome 3 has a fluid-tight top and projects through the dome 2 into the interior of the drinking bottle.

Beneath the dome 2 there is a bag 5, which is designed as a bellows. In the illustrated state, the bag is empty and folded together. The upper edge of the bag 5 is formed by a sealing element 6, which seals with respect to the inside edge of the drinking bottle and the underside of the dome 2.

Beneath the bellows 5 there is a support element 7, which supports the bellows 5 on the underside. The support element 7 is itself supported by a helical spring 8, which in turn is arranged on the base 9 of the drinking bottle. The helical spring 8 is fully relaxed in the illustrated state and has compressed the bellows 5 more or less completely. The support element 7 and the helical spring 8 are advantageously integrally connected to one another. Alternatively, the support element 7 can also be fixedly connected to the bellows 5.

Position 11 denotes a guide element for the helical spring 8. Generally, two such guide elements 11 are required.

FIG. 2 shows the drinking bottle according to FIG. 1 in the full state. The bag/bellows 5 is filled and expanded over its full length, and the helical spring 8 is fully tensioned.

When fluid is taken from the bellows 5, the helical spring 8 compresses the bellows, in dependence on the fill level, and pushes it in the direction towards the valve 3.

In the embodiment illustrated, the cap 4 is fastened to the drinking bottle by means of a hinge 10 and can be opened. Not illustrated is a pressure equalisation valve arranged in the base region of the drinking bottle, which correspondingly serves to take fluid from the bellows 5 for pressure equalisation.

FIG. 3 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention according to variant (b). Unless indicated otherwise, the elements of the drinking bottle correspond to those of FIG. 1 or 2. The drinking bottle contains inserted stages 11, which are each at a defined distance from one another and are able to contain a defined amount of fluid. The stages are interconnected centrally by openings, at which flaps 12 are arranged, which flaps are closed when the bottle is stored horizontally but open when fluid is taken by tilting of the bottle, so that the drinking fluid is able to flow in the direction towards the valve. The inserted stages 11 in the insert 5 reliably prevent sloshing of the fluid when the drinking bottle is partially empty.

FIG. 4 shows a drinking bottle according to the invention according to variant (c). In this case, the insert 5 contains a filling 13 of a material forming honeycombs or cells, which can be formed integrally with the insert 5. A passage 14, which can serve, for example, to receive a drinking straw, runs centrally. The honeycombs or cells are interconnected, so that the drinking fluid is able to move between the honeycombs or cells. This variant also reliably prevents sloshing of the drinking fluid. 

1. Drinking bottle for sportspersons, having a case (1), a dome (2) with a drinking valve (3), a base (9) and a protective cap (4), characterised in that the drinking bottle comprises an insert (5) for preventing sloshing, such that (a) the insert (5) is a bag for receiving drinking fluid which is accessible via the drinking valve (3), wherein there is arranged beneath the bag (5) an expansion element (8) which is suitable for compressing the bag (5) in the direction towards the drinking valve (3) in dependence on the fill level; or (b) the insert (5) comprises multiple stages, which are interconnected; or (c) the insert (5) comprises a filling of a permeable, food-grade material having honeycombs or cells.
 2. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the bag (5) is fitted in a sealing manner against the inside wall of the drinking bottle.
 3. Drinking bottle according to claim 2, characterised in that the bag (5) has an upper sealing edge (6).
 4. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the bag (5) is releasably connected to the drinking valve (3).
 5. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the bag (5) is supported on a support element (7), in particular a piston guided against the wall of the case (1).
 6. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the bag (5) is a bellows.
 7. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the expansion element (8) is a bellows.
 8. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the expansion element (8) is a spring element, in particular a helical spring.
 9. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the expansion element (8) is a balloon under pressure.
 10. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the insert (5) comprises multiple stages (11) with flaps (12) that seal in the closed state.
 11. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the insert (5) comprises multiple stages (11) with a central through-hole.
 12. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the insert (5) comprises a filling (13) with a central passage (14).
 13. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised by a drinking membrane arranged at the valve (3) or by a drinking straw.
 14. Drinking bottle according to claim 13, characterised in that the valve (3) is adjustable for taking the drinking fluid by tilting the bottle, by sucking through a membrane and/or by drinking through a drinking straw.
 15. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the dome (2) with the drinking valve (3) is screwed to the case (1).
 16. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised by an air inlet for pressure equalisation.
 17. Drinking bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the insert (5) consists of a plastics material which is suitable for foods. 